Gene regulatory network plasticity in social behavior

Environmental and developmental variation play large roles in shaping phenotypes, yet our understanding of how phenotypic plasticity evolves and is mediated through gene regulatory networks (GRNs) is limited. This knowledge gap hinders our ability to predict how novel or changing environments will affect phenotypes, as well as the evolutionary consequences of these changes. To better understand how both adaptive and aberrant phenotypes emerge from GRN architecture, we need tractable models which vary in a phenotype of interest. The proposed research takes an integrative approach to address the gene regulatory mechanisms underlying social behavior in a group of bees with extensive variation in sociality within and between species. This natural variation enables us to study the mechanistic basis of plasticity across both developmental and evolutionary timescales. My proposed research combines functional genomics with computational biology and behavioral profiling to identify gene regulatory plasticity and the consequences of this plasticity in the evolution and development of social traits. I approach these questions from multiple angles, optimizing risk and reward and providing training opportunities for students and postdocs in genomics, computational biology, and behavior. Objectives of the proposal include: 1) identifying GRN changes associated with evolutionary gains and losses of social behavior, 2) molecular profiling of developmental stages and behavioral phenotypes to determine how GRNs generate intraspecific plasticity, and 3) experimental manipulation of common trans-regulatory environments and use of massively parallel reporter assays to identify context-dependent gene regulatory activity across species. Together, outcomes of these studied objectives would provide fundamental insights into how GRN architecture is modified and utilized during the evolution and development of social traits. More generally, this work will expand our understanding of how phenotypic plasticity emerges from changes in gene regulation, an underappreciated contributor to the evolution of novel phenotypes.